Phoebe’s POV
"Based on last quarter’s numbers, we can increase production by at least 15%, which will open the door to new markets," Antonio explained.He pointed at the chart in front of him, barely glancing at it. "That’s where we need to focus—expansion in the eastern region. The demand is there."One of the clients, a middle-aged man with graying hair, nodded thoughtfully. “Antonio, if we move forward with the expansion, do you have the infrastructure ready to support it?”“We’re already two steps ahead,” Antonio replied proudly. “The groundwork is being laid as we speak, and within the next month, we'll be at full capacity.”Another client, a younger man, looked intrigued. “And what about competition? We’ve been hearing that others are trying to break into that market.”Antonio smiled, a slight smirk that I had seen countless times. “Let them try. We’ve secured key partnerships, and by the time they get their foot in the doPhoebe’s POV“What?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “I can’t just—”“Get out,” Antonio repeated, his eyes hard. “I expect you back home in an hour.”I looked at him, utterly shocked. “But you’ve taken everything from me! I don’t have money to take a cab home, I don’t have my phone. How am I supposed to get home?”“That’s your problem,” he replied coldly. “This is your punishment for flirting with a client.”“But I wasn’t!” I exclaimed, frustrated, and pleaded, “Please, Antonio, don’t do this.”He shoved me out of the car, slamming the door shut behind me. The car sped off, leaving me alone on the side of the road.I looked around, feeling utterly lost and confused. *What did I do to deserve this?* Right at that moment, it started to rain.Of course, it did—as if the universe wanted to rub salt into my wound. I stood there for a moment, feeling the rain soak through my clothes, wondering how I ended up he
Antonio’s POV“Drive,” I ordered coldly, leaning back against the seat as the rain began to pour harder. The driver hesitated, glancing back at me through the rearview mirror.I knew what he was thinking. He could see the madness in my eyes—the cold ruthlessness I didn’t even bother to hide.Despite his reluctance, he still obeyed and drove. And as we sped away, I caught a glimpse of Phoebe standing there, drenched, confused, and broken.“Good,” I thought. She needed to feel this.Of course, I knew that she wasn't lying back in the car because I'd watched her all through the meeting. I had long noticed her lack of attention during the meeting and how she had silently, out of impulse, tapped her feet on the ground to show she wanted to be somewhere else but there.The truth was, I deliberately pulled this act because I wanted her to get riled up, to hate me enough until she would become too desperate to get rid of me.Des
Fiona’s POVSomething was wrong. I didn’t know what, but I could feel it deep inside me—the kind of feeling only a mother would have when her child was in trouble.I’d been sitting in the living room, phone in hand, trying to reach Phoebe for the past hour. She hadn’t answered any of my calls, and my instincts were screaming at me to keep trying.Stevenson walked in, looking as indifferent as always. We didn’t exchange words; he barely even looked at me. As he headed upstairs, I called Phoebe again, praying she would finally answer. And then, the line connected.“Phoebe?” I asked, relieved at first. But the voice on the other end wasn’t my daughter’s.“Antonio?” I guessed. “Why do you have Phoebe’s phone? Where is she? Where is my daughter?”There was a pause, and then the words that froze my blood: "Phoebe's been in an accident."The phone slipped from my fingers, and I gave a raw, loud and piercing scream. “What! What
Phoebe’s POV“Phoebe, my daughter, please wake up!”“My sweet child, who did this to you?”“Oh my goodness! Just look at my poor child.”I could hear faint voices around me, but they sounded distant, like I was underwater. Everything around me was pitch black, and I couldn't make out anything as I stared into the empty, dark space.Trying to open my eyes, I felt like something heavy was weighing them down, making it impossible for me to see. I kept trying, hoping to leave the void and dark space.When I finally managed to open my eyes, a bright light hit my face, and I winced, squinting against it.Why was it so bright?The light was too harsh, and it hurt to keep my eyes open, but I slowly forced myself to adjust.In the midst of the confusion, I heard a familiar voice—it sounded like my mother's, or so I thought. It was soft and distant at first, then clearer as my vision slowly returned.As
Antonio’s POVStanding by the doorway, I stared at Phoebe, wondering what exactly she was up to. Her eyes were locked on mine. She looked so calm that I couldn't decipher what was going on in her mind.The silence between us stretched on, thick and tense, but neither of us spoke. I was waiting for her to say something—anything—that would break this atmosphere.Finally, she did."Was it you?" she asked softly. "Were you the one who brought me to the hospital?"I kept my eyes fixed on her, trying to gauge her expression. Slowly, I nodded. "Yes."Phoebe’s lips curled into a faint smile, and she muttered, "Thank you."Thank you? Did she just say ‘thank you’ to me?That was when I knew something was really off. This wasn’t the reaction I had expected. I had expected her to yell, to tell her family I was responsible for the accident. Hell, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she cursed me out right there in front of eve
Andrew's POVI sat across from James in my office, trying to keep my impatience in check as he filled me in on his latest findings. My fingers tapped on the desk while I waited for him to get to the part I actually cared about—the culprit behind the death of the nurse who had attended to Sheila’s mother.“We were so close to catching him,” James continued. “But the guy’s smart. As soon as he noticed we were onto him, he went into hiding.”I felt a flare of frustration but tried to maintain my composure, not wanting to lash out at James. “So, he’s still out there? If he's smart, you should be smarter, James.”James gave a reassuring nod. “Don’t worry, Andrew. Sooner or later, he’ll make a mistake, and when he does, we’ll have him.”I wanted to ask why we had to wait for the culprit to make a mistake. What if he didn’t?But just then, James leaned forward and slid a tablet across the table, tapping on the screen. “Here. This is som
Sheila’s POVI sat on the edge of the bed, still stunned by what I had just overheard on the phone right now.“Andrew, Evelyn’s inside,” I heard a male voice say.Which Evelyn? The Evelyn? But Evelyn was dead. I tried calling Andrew back immediately, but his phone was off. I sat there, staring at the screen for a long time, confused.Maybe I didn’t hear it right, or maybe it was a different Evelyn. Yeah, that must be it. It had to be. After all, different people could bear the same name.I shook my head, trying to clear the thought, and finally waved it off. It was late, and I needed to sleep. I had called Andrew, due to Mom's persuasion, to know if he would be coming back for dinner, but I highly doubted he would be coming back tonight.With that, I turned off my bedside lamp and slipped under the covers to sleep.The next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed. After washing my face and mouth, I headed downstairs to grab
Stevenson’s POVWhen I turned around and saw Mia standing there, I froze, my mouth hanging open in shock.She looked beautiful, natural, yet classy. Like one of those supermodel mothers who seemed to be aging backward.One would never have guessed that she had once been my maid some years back. The transformation was astonishing.But how? I didn’t understand. How was she standing right in front of me, looking so beautiful and healthy? I thought she was at the hospital, and the last time I saw her, anyone would have thought she was on her deathbed.Mia met my gaze with an indifferent look, her confidence radiating as she spoke. “I’m here now, so when can I get my necklace back?”I quickly closed my mouth, struggling to regain my composure, my mind racing. “How? How were you able to beat cancer?” I asked, still bewildered.She smiled smugly. “God was very merciful to me and gave me another chance.”It was in